3 Ways to Transform Anxiety into Positive Energy

“Today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.” ~Proverb

A few months ago, I moved from the metropolitan east coast to rural Indiana and bunked up with my grandparents to help them sell their house.

The house has finally sold, and now I am faced with options for where to go next. In other words, my future is completely uncertain at this point, and I’m experiencing quite a bit of anxiety over it.

On the real, I’m silently, and at times not so silently, freaking out.

Anxiety is so annoying in that it can be completely paralyzing. It is for me right now.

My anxiety has taken over my productivity and has almost completely shut down my creativity. Also, my sleep is suffering, which impacts my skin, eating habits, and energy. It’s a yucky downward spiral, my friends.

The major bummer is that my anxiety doesn’t solve any of the things I’m worried about, and the blocked energy flow this negative emotion generates only creates more problems. What is a distressed girl to do?

Today I dragged my anxiety with me to my meditation pillow, and had a piece of paper where I quickly jotted down all of my greatest fears surrounding this move that’s upon me in just a few short weeks. I sat for a moment and wrote down anything that surfaced.

What came up was that I am fretting that I won’t have enough money to support my upcoming move, I’m wondering what would happen if my car breaks down, and I’m worrying that I might not be happy in my next environment (and so forth). All valid fears, I would say.

But then I realized that I really needed to dissect those fears further.

Why am I worrying that I won’t have enough money to support my next move? What is the worst that will happen if I don’t? I’d have to move back in with mom and dad? It might not be my number one choice, but I would still be alive and healthy and loved.

Why am I panicking about my car breaking down? What is the worst that would happen if it did? It would be totally unfavorable, but eventually AAA would come pick me up and tow my car to safety. It would delay my trip, but eventually, I would get to my destination, and I would still be alive, healthy, and loved.

Why am I questioning so hard whether or not I will like it where I’m going? As I look back, I cannot think of anywhere I’ve ever lived that I haven’t loved.

We are only as happy as we make up our minds to be, so knowing that my happiness is all internal, I have nothing but my own attitude to adjust if I find myself going sour on my new destination.

Furthermore, I can always move on if I don’t like where I end up, and while that may not be the fireworks I had imagined, I will still be alive, healthy, and loved.

I felt better once I realized that even if things don’t go according to my plan, in the grander spectrum, I will be okay.

However, this issue still needs to be unpacked just a little bit further, because you see,all of my fears, no matter what form they take in my head (which creates them in my physical reality), they all stem from feelings that I don’t want to feel.

I don’t want to feel the feelings of humiliation, irresponsibility, and failure of showing up at mom and dad’s to crash in my old room.

I don’t want the pain-in-the-butt drama of a broken down car and the inconvenience of being stranded on the side of the road.

And, I definitely don’t want to make the big move and then feel unhappy in my new living environment. I dread feeling that I’ve made the wrong decision.

The chance of encountering any of these feelings and their related experiences is almost strong enough to stop me from going, even though it’s not a guarantee that any of these hypothetical situations will even occur.

What makes me hesitate, though, is that it’s not guaranteed that they won’t happen either. Oh, the conundrum.

The good news is, there is a way to keep these fearful experiences at bay.

After stripping my fears all the way down to the core feelings behind them, I realized that by worrying about these fictitious possibilities that may or may not happen, I am actually lining myself up with these lower vibrations—and I’m making myself a perfect match to attract these situations I fear.

It sounds confusing, I know. Butunderstanding this emotional play is the key to freeing ourselves of anxiety and other paralyzing emotions. Knowing this “like attracts like” law of energy is our way out.

Every emotion carries with it an energy, a certain vibration, the highest of which are emotions such as love, appreciation, joy, and gratitude. Lower resonating emotions are feelings such as fear, guilt, shame, regret, anger, despair, humiliation, and anxiety.

Worry/anxiety is a vibrational match to humiliation, dread, and unhappiness, all of which I do not want to feel.

Therefore, if I worry about the possibility of encountering other situations that are going to bring me other emotions that I don’t want to experience, I will actually be setting myself to experience them!

The reason why I want things to work out in my favor is that I want to feel a certain way.

Having enough money for my next endeavor, a trustworthy vehicle, and environmental happiness make me feel safe, secure, confident, grounded, happy, and at ease.

To open up to these feelings, I need to match that vibration emotionally—and non-stop worrying does not match.

If I want self-confidence, happiness, and security, I have to skip ahead to feeling that way now.

If you find yourself fraught with anxiety, feeling fearful about the future, you will attract your worst fears. When anxiety tries to bring us down, there are 3 things we can do:

1. Take a moment and see what feelings underlie your fears.

Then see if you can figure out how you’d rather feel and choose to feel that feeling instead. If you are having a hard time lifting your mood, get busy doing something you enjoy that will raise your positive vibration.

It’s easy to raise our vibration. Engaging in our hobbies is a great way to bump our vibes up a few notches, and it can be anything really—playing sports, cooking, baking, gardening, playing music, cleaning, exercising, meditating, practicing yoga, singing, dancing, crafting, building, organizing, or snuggling with your pet.

When we keep ourselves elevated, it’s really hard for anxiety to find us, helping to keep negative experiences at bay.

2. Instead of gripping at fear and worrying about whether or not something will work out, just know that it will.

This is what it means to have faith. Just know that no matter what the outcome, you will be okay, and if it is in your highest interest to have what you want, you will have it.

3. And last, ask the universe for what you want and then let go of the outcome.

Instead of focusing on what you want, focus on how you can be of service. When we are serving others, we are tapping into more of that feel-good energy, which will bring us more feel-good experiences.

Show up each day ready to serve the world, your family, your environment, and yourself. Focus on how you can add value to the lives of others. Good experiences will come to you.

Once we realize the root of anxiety, it is easier for us to transform it into positivity. I wish you all a blissful day!

Jennifer Marut is a student of Ayurveda, medicinal plants, yoga, and meditation at The California College of Ayurveda. She is the creator of The Cleaning Divas Eco-Aromatherapy Cleaning Products, and the The Bamboo Project. Sign up for her health and happiness e-newsletter for daily inspiration, and keep up with her adventures twitter.

Did you enjoy this post? Please share the wisdom :)

Related posts:

Avi

Jennifer, this is just what I needed. I find myself in an anxiety attacks couple of days each week. Although, at the end of the week things work out just fine. Hoping for lovely things to come all of our ways!

Cindy

Thank you! Need reminders like this when my anxiety starts to feel overwhelming (which is unfortunately too often). Great post!

It’s a good post and it can be adapted to more situations. I don’t know if you can stay elevated after a serious illness for lack of energy, but one can always try.

kaydee

Thanks! I needed that today!

M

I know that all things r relative. I realize that The things that are driving your anxiety are real to u and the steps u have discussed may work for such worries, $, car etc.
But what if u can’t wish and positively project your anxiety away bc there are much more serious issues driving it.
I have 4 children – 3 are special
Needs – I cannot look to the future and see my youngest son with his Down Stndrome gone or the fact that at 3 months old he underwent open heart bypass surgery or thT he will have have to go in again in his teens – he fact that he may need head surgery – I know he will have difficulty seeing and hearing
My 7 year old has autism – I can’t just positively imagine his autism away – he will always be autistic and I will always worry about him
My 10 y old has ADHD with extreme impulsivity and ODD which makes him impossible to raise – I worry everyday that he doesn’t get in a fight with another kid or that he will grow up well enough adjusted to exist in this world and be a contributing member of society
I have anxiety through the roof and suffer from crippling depression – I wish there was some way thT I can get rid of these negative lower vibrations – they are awful and I have always been an extremely upbeat extroverted very fun and friendly person
Any advice?
M

Bjossa

Failure is rarely fatal! I have a tendency of worrying about the worst case scenario, but often this is helpful too, because then I can try to strategize to prevent certain things happening or approach situations in a smarter way. To use one of your examples re: car breaking down, I would check my oil, coolant, etc, rotate my tires before a long journey, that sort of thing. When you do ask “what is the worst that could possibly happen?” it’s usually not that bad! Having to slump home to mom and dad’s will suck, but only temporarily. And maybe it would mean the universe could see you were going in the wrong direction and was trying to help you get back on track.

Jennifer – what’s wrong with Indiana? 🙂 I am from there and love it so much, currently living in Pittsburgh now! Wishing you the very best – thank you for such an inspiring article!

Bjossa

Have you looked into pyroluria or other nutritional causes? A lot of my anxiety has improved with improving my physical health – healing the gut, ensuring optimal nutrient & neurotransmitter levels, etc. Sounds like there may be some gene mutations and overall health issues with your family resulting in so many different disorders. There is a very supportive pyroluria group on Facebook that has LOADS of experience with what you’ve described, please consider joining. If nothing else, it’s very helpful to talk to others going through much the same thing. On the mindfulness side of things, you can’t imagine their disorders away but you can imagine them improving and reaching *their* optimal level of health… this alone isn’t going to help them but it might help you move in the right direction and feel like yes, there ARE things you can do to help them and yourself. Good luck on your journey, you have more on your plate than any one person should be allowed. HUGE internet hugs to you!

Kiwijo

I needed this today.
I took a leap of faith in November when I left a job Id had for 5 years for something which promised to be better but turned our worse, so I walked out of it in December.. I am the main wage earner in our house, so am starting to feel anxious about the bills which will be due at the end of the month. Im trying very hard to stay positive that I will be back in work before then, but every so often I start to doubt.
I know we will be OK even if this job move didnt work out, Im determined that my new job will be where I am meant to be and that I will love it, this timely article is helping me to reinforce my thinking.
Thank You

You are definitely in a challenging situation. My brother struggled with ADHD growing up and my mom found that by altering some things in his diet/omitting certain foods, he was much more well behaved and could focus better at school. As for your other two, I see in those I mentor that they have a hard time accepting they have a special needs child, And instead of recognizing the gifts that their special needs children have to offer, they spend so much time trying to do everything they can to make them more “normal”. It is our culture that does this. In other cultures, those with autism or schizophrenia, etc are viewed as wise visionaries and are highly respected for their special abilities. Your babies were born special and they have such amazing gifts to offer the world. Perhaps try to flip the situation in your head and stop wishing their special needs away, and instead work on accepting them for who they are without wishing away their special needs. I know this is hard, especially since our brains want to “fix” everything. Focus on how you can play to their strengths, instead of resisting what is. You will feel your depression start to lift once you embrace who they are. And know that you are the special person God chose to give them to. Once you accept them for who they are and stop wishing for them to be different and “normal”, you will be a shining light to help other moms who are struggling with the same thing. Shine on beautiful angel and good luck. Your children are very special and you were the chosen one who gets to love them. I hope this helps!

I am so glad you found this helpful! I think you are correct in that more than anything we need to just trust that everything will work out. Thanks for the feedback, and keep on believing! We must soldier on. 🙂 Have a beautiful day!

I needed #3 sooo much–it is the missing key for me to develop and grow. Thank you (tears). Thank you so much for this article.

Kate

Kiwijo, I know exactly how you feel. After my dad passed away in March last year, I hadn’t taken a break to rest, and I continued working till September. It is a job i didn’t like, so I resigned without a job. Till now, I am still looking for a job. I wanted to switch my focus from customer service to some back-end kinda jobs, as I am really sick of facing the public (I used to work as a cabin crew and service staff at a hospital), especially people who are ill and the negative energies we receive everyday is draining.
I am reading The Secret and what Jennifer talked about is almost what The Secret is talking about. I don’t know if I am a person who is more negative since I was young (I used to have a lot of fears and my inferiority complex eats me up). I have low self-esteem, low self-confidence, and after reading what all of you wrote makes me kinda realised that it is my thoughts that attract me to more negative situations and feelings. But it is really difficult to change my mindset. I feel tired often even after sleeping for more than 8 hours. I feel anxious sometimes that no company is contacting me for job interview. Even if I managed to feel positive at times, it won’t last…my worries and fears will come back and haunt me. How do I start to really love myself for who I am etc?

Dochy

This is such a wonderful post! Something I really needed today… I am usually this upbeat and super positive gal but once in a while I feel glum due to my reactions to certain circumstances in life… And I start worrying like there’s no morrow… All I did today was take a few minutes off from the tons of work I had, opened only one tab in my browser (which is amazing!) and read your post! I’m feeling back to my usual self now! 🙂 This really helps.. Brilliant techniques and you’re hit the nail on the head with your analysis of why we become anxious! Thank you Jennifer! Have a wonderful day! 😀

Facebook

I needed this ..I do read all your articles n feel that like I’m expressing myself..so meaningful .thnx once again

Jenn, you make a very valid point that I had not considered before. Subconsciously (or consciously) we often may fear the emotions we have or will have about certain actions and confuse THAT fear with consequences of the actual action, which may actually be much less frightful.

Sweetheart, you have to lift your spirit. Feeling better about ourselves is not easy unless we commit to it. Write down some positive affirmations about yourself on a post-it note such as, “Everything always works out for me”, and “I deserve happiness and love”, and stick them around the house, such as the bathroom mirror, kitchen cabinets, your bedside table, and spend time repeating these mantras and feeling their truth in your heart each day. When you start to feel down about yourself and your situation, as hard as it is to do, stop your thoughts midstream, and return to repeating your positive mantras. Also, spend as much time as you can immersed in your hobbies. Since you are unemployed you have lots of time to get involved in your hobbies. They will lift your spirit and they will lead your way to another job. It is easy for us to feel good about ourselves when we are spending time doing things that make us happy. I hope this helps. Thanks for your comment and don’t ever give up!

Thank you so much for your post. Like many people here – I needed
this! I was tossing and turning all night and decided to check Twitter then
came across your post. It made me smile and I could finally sleep!

I’m in a similar position as you so I can really understand how you feel. I am overseas student living in Australia for almost 8 years now, and I’ve been having a few visa issues that could affect my whole future plan. If this visa thing doesn’t work out then I’ll have to leave the country and go back to my hometown…and I’ll be thousand miles away from my boyfriend who I’ve been with for 7 years. I’ve had many sleepless nights worrying about this… Will I ever get my dream job back in my hometown? Will our relationship work out if we’re worlds apart?, What if I can’t get a job in Aus either?..what if, what if… But then I read your post and especially this sentence “I would still be alive, healthy, and loved.” Wow…just wow. That is what I will be saying to myself from now on…Wherever I am or will be, or no matter what the outcome I’d be still alive, healthy and loved.

So thank you Jennifer! This has helped me so much. Will look forward to your next post. Have a wonderful day 😀

I’m so glad this resonated well with you! I too lose sleep sometimes over uncertainties, and I have found that meditating on those words helps me immensely. There are so many unknowns surrounding us, taunting us with worries of things not working out the way we want. The beauty I have finally learned, is everything is always ok no matter how things work out. Thank you for your feedback and I hope you have a wonderful day as well!

Thanks! I needed this too. I also took a leap of faith and left a well paying job to move to another country and start off new. I am currently in the process of packing and planning the final parts of the move. When I handed in my resignation a month ago, I was happy that I finally had the guts to change something that I had been so unhappy about for a long time. Also, I was very exicted about the idea of living in another country. However, as the departure time gets nearer, I am getting more and more anxious about the move and my feelings have changed from very position to negative.
Will I be able to get a job? Will the salary support the lifestyle I want? Was it a mistake leaving my stable job? These questions keep playing in my head. In the end I have to just believe things will work out and make the best from whatever arises.

I am filled with inspiration to keep moving on. Due to anxiety…I even experience panic attacks often. But now I feel motivated. Thank you Jennifer. Today is the tomorrow that I worried about yesterday.

ilia

Thankyou so very much for this article.

Tatiii

That’s awesome! Good for you and I hope you’ve already moved and have made a fresh start!

Tatiii

Thank you for sharing this. It is comforting to hear it

Karen

Hi thanks for your post. I am moving in a month and a half and have a lot of the same fears, in addition to the separation anxiety from my parents and leaving them on their own. I am going to miss then very much but moving closer to my job will be such a relief. will be sure to be reading this in the next few weeks as I try to hammer this article in my head. Thank you again.

Riley

I really needed this.
I tend to worry about the worst case scenario. I have realized that if you have faith, everything will turn out fine. I shouldn’t let my thoughts take over and control my life. Happiness lies from within yourself. It’s always there. You just have to push all negative energy out and embrace the positive! Today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday!! Thanks!
-riley

St. Louis Behavioral Medicine

Interesting read I will have to try and incorporate some of these into my daily routine. Anxiety is never fun for everyone and St. Louis Behavioral Medicine Institute definitely made a big difference. Thanks for sharing this I’m sure it will help me even more!

Mario Lap

I’m on sick leave for 2 months because I had an anxiety attack. My work is really stressful. I’ve been working there for 16 years. I moved into the city. It’s been 2 years I’m in the city because of my girlfriend. I just hate the city. I always lived in the country. I had some anxiety attack when I was living in the country. I’m consulting since a week because I feel my attacks are getting worse. I tried to meditate but I find this so hard. I never took time to relax. I feel my body is screaming. I feel like a ping pong ball.
Yesterday the doctor told me that I have also a bursitis of the shoulder.
I’m going to try your approach about anxiety.
Mario

No

Stopped reading at “like attracts like”. I can’t help having GAD and I don’t appreciate being told that I’m an awful person WILLFULLY ruining my future by VOLUNTARILY suffering from anxiety.

No

It must be nice to be able to magically change your feelings with the flick of a switch, but that’s not the way it works for me.

Shawna Schaeffer

This was timely for me to read today. I literally did a search on Google and found you, what a wonderful surprise! I see that this was 3 years ago and am sure you are at another point in your life. I hope you are joyful.
My life – I’m starting back at work full-time today from my 8th surgery for breast cancer in 2 1/2 years. I have worked after each surgery and the collective we (all my doctors, family and self) have thought each one would be the last. This one looks like it finally is the last. On top of this I have now been diagnosed with fibromyalgia as well as several other similar diseases and will need to modify my behavior accordingly so I can continue to function in the world. Trust me, this is not fun.
Right now, my anxiety seems to be centered around my new boss and all that may entail. I will use your method and attempt to see what feelings underlie my fears, what’s the worst that could happen with my work, and if my health is at the center of my anxiety. It seems obvious as I reread this that health is the problem, but I’m concentrating my new boss and her strange expectations. I think your process will help and I thank you!

Anju Meow

I was looking for ways to stay positive and to change all this negativity that has been surrounding me for quite awhile now. Today, a sleepless night, I came across this article. I am not going to lie, if I would’ve read this another time I would have found it silly and very fictional. However, today, after a long night of looking back in my life, thinking about all the things that I’ve done, seen and been through, I think this is something I really needed to hear with open heart and clear mind. I can finally see how my own actions lead to my own outcomes whether good or bad. And that it has always been in me what I can or can’t do. I know it won’t be easy to change all of sudden something that has been with me over the years and that I always thought and believed to be part of me. But having a clear mind, clear vision and setting my head & heart to my future goals along with making a learning journey out of it, will take me where I want to be. Maybe not when I want to but when I have to. I will also have to put my heart into learning that I cannot control everything in my life, and that that is okay. As I said before, this is the right time for me to have read this. It was very helpful. I truly thank you.

md dalour

On your writings that very important voices is that take a moment for thinking . If someone follow that he will must be find the way to get rid of any difficulties.
Thanks for this article.

WIll

Thank you. I come from a journey full of anxiety, emotional breakdown and destructive behavior. I break things and the go into deep depression. My anxiety stems from things that arn’t affecting me. I am 19 and today i totaled my car on purpose for no reason and lost my job. I feel very hopeless inside and i feel like i need more love from my family who’s always fighting. I’ve been homeless 2 times and I am desperately searching for truth, enlightenment and the meaning of life and such. I just want someone to tell me i can do it. I just want someone to say it is possible even for me. I feel like no-one is ever gonna help me be my best version. Everyone accuses me and makes me feel so bad i just want it to end. Inside I feel i need help coping with what is real. I feel crazy at times like no-one sees and feels what i am feeling. I need spiritual help. I want to know what i am experiencing right now literally. Im very distraught and life is so important to me to figure out.

I know that loving people is important. I practice it often. I uphold good values and i truely want to help others be successful and i want my fellow man to be happy, and satisfied. I want to live a life where i give to people. I want righteousness. I want to be morally and literally doing what life intended me to do. I desire to “know” what is correct? How do we know what is right..

I want to become my greatest version. I need help :'( I’ve been feeling so down lately in my world. This helped a lot.

Hanouf

I don’t know what really to say, how to thank you.
THANKYOU for the amazing anergy you gave me and the positivity you made me think of. You are really right of every letter you wrote. THANKYOU again and again xx

Stopfear

Wow… I just couldn’t read this whole thing. All I read up the halfway point was me me me me me. I don’t want to cast judgment on you, and it’s more pragmatism- but, girl get a god darn grip!!! Damn! I know what anxiety is like, I’ve lived it. I realize the end of this article would probably have changed my mind but honestly what people with GAD need is CONFIDENCE! That’s the key! I speak from experience. I just needed to type that out, for anyone who is reading this. I’m not mocking what you’re going through, feeling and perhaps even clinical diagnosis. I’ve just experienced people who make it about themselves and are selfish to the point that it leaves distaste in my mouth. Try not to be that person to others. Be more reflective about what you say, what it implies and how it may affect others. Listen to yourself and then others will listen to you better. Taking and giving aren’t always equal and can’t be measured but try to give a little more. If you can’t then be honest with yourself and move on but don’t expect anything from the other person! No one owes you anything. People are starving from hunger, are suffering with cancer, Alzheimer’s, schizophrenia, depression. Anxiety is difficult but it is not your enemy, your fear is your enemy.

Join the Tiny Buddha list for daily or weekly emails and receive 92 Life Lessons for free.

Disclaimer

This site is not intended to provide and does not constitute medical, legal, or other professional advice. The content on Tiny Buddha is designed to support, not replace, medical or psychiatric treatment. Please seek professional care if you believe you may have a condition. Before using the site, please read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Who Runs Tiny Buddha?

Though I run this site, it is not mine. It's ours. It's not about me. It's about us. Your stories and your wisdom are just as meaningful as mine. Click here to read more.